THE ORIOLES, BLACKBIRDS, CROWS, AND JAYS. 163 



than the rightful occupants ; it is larger than they, as the 

 hosts are almost invariably smaller than cow-birds, — warblers, 

 vireos, etc. Thus the young cow-bird is able to grow rapidly, 

 and within two or three days is so much ahead of his foster- 

 brothers and -sisters that he gets all the food and they die. 

 It appears to be the rule that a cow-bird's egg laid in a nest 

 ruins the hopes of the birds that built it. Every young cow- 

 bird is reared at the expense of anywhere from two to five 

 other birds, each of which is of more value than he. This 

 makes cow-birds costly. Whatever benefits we derive from 

 their food habits are more than overcome by their parasitic 

 habits. 



THE BOBOLINK. 

 (After Biological Survey. | 



In the northeast quarter of the United States, it is safe to 

 assert, there is no more popular bird among country folk than 

 the Bobolink. He announces his coining by a shower of 

 melody from the clouds. For a fortnight he revels in bachelor 

 freedom, in glorious apple-blossoms, and pours forth a flood 



